On Monday, the Israeli army said it had expanded the “humanitarian zone” in the enclave.
Israel sent tanks into the Nusseirat camp in central Gaza on Monday, while Israeli strikes across the territory have left 11 people dead since Sunday evening, doctors said.
Residents said Israeli tanks opened fire as they entered the western sector of the camp, causing panic among the population and displaced families.
The tanks' advance came as a complete surprise, Zaik Mohammad, 25, who lives a kilometer from the targeted area, told Reuters. “N, asking to be allowed out, while others rushed to flee with everything they could carry,” he said via a messaging app.
The already slim chances of a ceasefire were further dwindled on Saturday when Qatar, which is acting as mediator, said it was suspending its efforts until Israel and Hamas demonstrate greater willingness to reach an agreement.
Seven people killed
According to doctors, seven people died overnight from Sunday to Monday in Nusseirat during two separate Israeli airstrikes, one of which hit a group of tents.
In the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya, where Israeli forces have been operating since October 5, medics said four people were killed by an Israeli airstrike.
At Kamal Adouane Hospital near Beit Lahiya, doctors said Israeli drone fire injured three medical staff.
The Israeli military said it killed Mohammad Abu Skhail, a senior commander in Hamas ally Islamic Jihad, in a strike Saturday on a former school in Gaza City that was believed to serve as a command center. This attack left six people dead, according to doctors.
On Monday, the Israeli army said it had expanded the “humanitarian zone” in the enclave. She also said she would allow in more tents, shelters, food, water and medical supplies.
Its forces “will continue to work to achieve war objectives, including the neutralization of Hamas and the return of all hostages,” the Israeli military said.
Palestinian and United Nations officials say there are no safe areas in the enclave, which is home to more than 2.1 million people and now largely in ruins. Israel made no comment on Monday's attacks.
